Clark Wilbur Mills (1915, Michigan - December 11, 2001, Clearwater Florida) was an American designer and

builder Builder may refer to: * Construction worker, who specializes in building work * Carpenter, a skilled craftsman who works with wood * General contractor, that specializes in building work ** Subcontractor * Builder (detergent), a component of moder ...

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

s. He was best known as the designer of economical and practical boats such as the

Optimist Optimism is an attitude reflecting a belief or hope that the outcome of some specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and desirable. A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass filled wi ...

pram, Windmill, Com-Pac 16 and others. He began building boats before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and after the war opened the Mills Boat Works in

Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2020 census, the city had a populat ...

. Mills was inducted into the

National Sailing Hall of Fame The National Sailing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit educational organization that promotes sailing and racing by recognizing individuals who have contributed to the sport, highlighting sailing's contribution to the American culture; and demonstrating i ...

in 2017.

Designs

* Com-Pac 16 *

Com-Pac 23 The Com-Pac 23 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Clark Mills as a pocket cruiser and first built in 1978. The boat has undergone design changes over time resulting in a series of improved models.Henkel, Steve: ''The Sai ...

Com-Pac Sun Cat The Com-Pac Sun Cat, also called the Com-Pac Sun Cat 17, is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Clark Mills as a pocket cruiser and first built in 2000.Henkel, Steve: ''The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats'', page X ...

Com-Pac Sunday Cat The Com-Pac Sunday Cat is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Clark Mills, who had previously designed the Optimist. The Sunday Cat is a development of the Com-Pac Sun Cat. The Sun Cat comes in both cabin and open day sai ...

* US1 * Windmill

References

Sailing Magazine, March 1999: An 8-foot giant of a sailboatHutchins Company Profile
discusses the Com-Pac 16 designed by Clark Mills.
Builder of Snipes

National Sailing Hall of Fame Induction

Footnotes

American boat builders American yacht designers 1915 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American engineers {{shipbuilding-stub